Join us for a reception to celebrate the first Global MLK Day, with speakers Pam Pappas Stanoch and Pap Ndiaye

Pam Pappas Stanoch — Expert in cross-cultural communication, former translator-interpreter in Rwanda, founder and CEO of Athena Group International, a consultancy for global business development, and member of the board of directors of the charity Books For Africa.

Global MLK Day

The Martin Luther King Jr. Global Day of Service is a project of the Union of Overseas Voters launched in 2014 to promote the international celebration of Dr. King's life and legacy with an annual day of humanitarian service observed around the world.

A quick guide: Voting for U.S. citizens abroad

When you're overseas — even temporarily — federal law gives you special rights to ensure you're able to vote absentee.

To be sure you always receive ballots for every election, you must file an absentee ballot request — called a "Federal Post Card Application" (FPCA) — every year. The FPCA also serves as a voter registration application.

You always vote using your U.S. voting residence address — your last address in the U.S. before you left the country. It doesn't matter if you no longer have any ties to that place. Citizens who've never lived in the U.S. use their American parent's address for voting purposes.

Your "U.S. voting residence address" determines where your ballot is counted. The election bureau there is your official contact for registration and voting.

If you don't receive your ballot before an election, you can vote with the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB). This is a special back-up ballot that's available to expatriate voters at all times. The Union always has ballots on hand for you!

All U.S. citizens who'll be at least 18 on election day can register to vote and request ballots — even if you live overseas permanently, or have never voted or lived in the U.S. before.

The Union of Overseas Voters offers voter registration and assistance, face-to-face, for every federal election. You can also get a registration application and ballot request online from the Federal Voting Assistance Program. You'll need to download, print, sign and send your form directly to your U.S. election bureau.

The Union also provides voter registration and speakers for community groups, schools and businesses to inform you about voting procedures and your rights, as well as civics courses to help you understand the U.S. government. Know of a group or organization that might be interested? Please contact us.

The Union of Overseas Voters is strictly non-partisan and is governed by U.S. citizens living abroad. Help promote civic engagement. Contact us to get involved!

Got a question about voter registration procedures from overseas? Not sure of your voting rights? Wonder about voting and U.S. taxes? Confused about determining your "voting residence address" in the United States? The voting assistants at the Union of Overseas Voters have over 40 years experience helping American expatriates vote. Let the Union help!

Donate to our 2014 Voter Registration Campaign

We rely on your donations* to empower American voters abroad. There are an estimated 6.4 million U.S. citizens living overseas. But only a fraction of them actually vote, because they don't understand their rights or believe overseas absentee voting is too complicated.

In 2012, the Union of Overseas Voters volunteered more than 300 hours to directly assist U.S. voters abroad and informed thousands about their rights. With your help, we can do even more to strenghten American democracy in 2014.

We've made donating easy. Use a credit or debit card, or your PayPal account.

*Donations from individuals and businesses fiscally domiciled in France are deductible from French taxes. Individual deductions: 66% of amount donated; up to 20% of taxable income per year. Corporations and similar entities: 60% of amount donated; up to 5% of receipts per year.

The Union of Overseas Voters—a non-partisan, non-profit, all-volunteer association registered under French law (loi 1901) and governed by American citizens residing abroad—was founded in 2011 by volunteer civilian Voting Assistance Officers with over 40 years of experience helping overseas American voters; community organizers; campaign and media specialists; IT professionals and educators. Our mission is to assist American citizens living abroad register to vote and cast their ballots, to promote civic awareness, and to increase voter participation in U.S. elections.